The Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of Davis, CA, wanted to find a way six years ago to do two things: Create a worship service that focused on children in worship, and do it in a way that allowed them to move around....

At All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Okla., the theme for the month of January is “Creation.” In February the theme shifts to “Religious Authority.” When March comes around “Redemption” will be taken up. Going out further, Senior Minister the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar knows what themes he...

The Rev. Krista Taves believes children belong in worship. With adults. For more than 15 minutes. And for the past three years that’s what has happened at the 100-member Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. For fully the first half of every service, all...

When we sing an African-American spiritual during worship does that act honor another culture or is it cultural misappropriation? Can we hold a Seder if we’re not Jewish? Can our children make Native American dream catchers in religious education classes? As Unitarian Universalists we take pride...

In the early 1980s, First Unitarian Church of Oakland, CA, was struggling. Once a vibrant congregation, it had lost much of its membership as its urban neighborhood declined. But when a new minister arrived with a vision that included involving the congregation in planning and leading worship...

First Unitarian Church of Nashville moved to a different way of recognizing joys and concerns several years ago. Says Director of Music Jason Shelton, "Our practice of people coming up and lighting a candle and speaking their joys and sorrows had become unsafe. People were saying inflammatory and...

Creating a night at midweek for friends and members to come out for a "church night" is a tradition for many of our congregations. It's an important time to build relationships in a more relaxed setting than on Sunday morning. And it provides a worship opportunity for those who have difficulty...

Good worship can be a challenge. The sermon may be inspiring and uplifting, with just the right tone and number of examples, but the transitions from one service element to another may not be smooth. Or the special music may not complement the sermon, or vice versa....

The annual water service, sometimes called a "water communion" or "Waters of the World," is beloved by Unitarian Universalists (UUs). The water service is a UU ritual, usually conducted in the fall when friends and members return from their summer travels....

Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO, start each Sunday with 10 minutes of Morningsong—a hymn sing just before the official start of the service. The practice started with one or two hymns and now is up to three. Minister of Music Keith Arnold says Morningsong is used to teach new hymns, sing...

Carmen McDowell, membership director at East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue, WA, invites friends and members to welcome visitors by thinking of three personas: "First there's the Forrest Gump introduction. Forrest wouldn't miss a beat if he inadvertently mistook a founding member for a newcomer.

When members of All Souls Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church in Kansas City, MO (400 members), began having trouble finding a place to sit on Sunday morning they knew it was time to face the future. There are two solutions to crowded Sundays—expanding the building or adding a service. For All...

Danvers, MA (221 members), gather for a service honoring "memory and tradition." The service includes awards for church and community service, a naming of those who have died (including dropping a stone for each into a bowl of water), a short sermon, and a meditation period....

Q. Our church bought enough copies of Singing the Living Tradition so each person attending a service can use the hymnal. Since we have made that purchase, do we have automatic permission to excerpt readings, hymns, etc. to print as inspirational messages in our newsletter that circulates to more...

Rev. Jacqueline Ziegler, interim minister at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, PA (281 members), holds an annual service where members and others may come to remember an animal companion. People are invited to bring pictures of animals that have been part of their lives. At the service they are...

Q.A.Notice to Visitors: People who attend St. Mark's regularly are for the most part kind and friendly people, but they tend to be a bit shy and self-conscious with strangers. They are afraid of greeting people they think are new and discovering that "the visitors" have been attending St....

Every congregation has lots of visitors who come once, twice, even sign up for the newsletter, but never return. We wonder if we did something wrong, if no one spoke to them, or the coffee was bad. If we have our act together we have someone from the membership committee call all visitors within...

Music feeds our souls and many of us wouldn’t stay in our congregations without it, but to do it properly takes vision, time, and talent. Ten years ago, when Tom Benjamin, a choral director who had recently moved to the area, was asked to build a music program at the Unitarian Universalist (UU)...

Many of the ten congregations in metropolitan Pittsburgh, PA, have fewer than one hundred members, but together they have nearly 1,000 and in recent years they've found more and more ways to come together and make their numbers count. For about six years representatives of the congregations have...